Step 1 – Print and cut out Pattern pieces onto paper.Trace or cut around the egg pattern and top and bottom pattern pieces onto the felt.Cut out the felt shapes. Pattern is below.

Step 2 –Take one of your egg pieces and with your co-ordinating cotton thread sew a running stitch along the zig zag edges only of the top and bottom piece, through both layers.

Step 3 – Sew your buttons into position.You could alternatively sew a piece of ribbon through the centre or use brads to decorate your egg.

Step 4 – Take the ribbon and fold in half.With the second egg piece place the folded ribbon into the centre at the top and sew into place with cotton thread.

Step5 – Place your front and back egg pieces together (with the ribbon in between the layers).Sew around the outside of your egg, using running stitch with your co-ordinating cotton thread through the two layers.

Step 6 – Stop about 2cm before the place where you started and stuff your egg using the toy filling.Sew closed.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

My oldest and dearest childhood friend recently shared the news that they are expecting a special new arrival. Baby number 2. Well this means of course that such news needs to be celebrated with some special stitching. This beautiful baby block is from the Melly and Me range and was so delightful to stitch. I loved the pre-printed panel and the instructions were very clear and easy to work through. I love hand sewing - I find it relaxing and such a great way to spend time in the evening.

This is the finished block and it is so sweet - it even has a rattle inside. So whether baby is a boy or girl I hope this little treasure will be played with and loved.

Easter eggs were on the agenda this week (apologies for the shocking photo quality - but is was late at night and the lighting very bad - but more on that later). I am getting ready for the build up to Easter and Perth Upmarket is only 5 short weeks away.

I am in the midst of getting a tutorial together to make these Easter Eggs. The photos are done and the pattern made, just waiting on some supplies and over the next week or so will upload the Easter Egg Tutorial to this blog. I will also have some kits to go with the Tutorial available (in a limited quantity) to make three Easter Eggs. These will be available shortly in my Etsy Shop and also available on the day of Perth Upmarket. If however you prefer to buy them ready made you can from here.

Now, I know what things I can do well - but I am even more aware of the things that I can't or just seem to try at but always come up short. Well I have made a list (you know how I love lists!) of the things that I need to work on and improve at so I have decided MAKE more time for these things. Top of the list at the moment is taking bettter photos. I have just a simple digital camera but at the end of the day my photos just let me down so I have invested in this new baby.

﻿Isn't it lovely. Now once I figure out how to use it my photos should start to get much, much better. I have had some help with some photography tips (thanks Dad and Justine!) and by next post my photos should just blow you away (hah - good in theory). So off to read a big manual and report back next week with some progress.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Today is my mums birthday. So many, many months ago I thought it was time to make something special for her to celebrate how important she is to me.

If you stop by this blog regularly you will have seen this quilt evolve over lots of posts. I was pleased with how this "Disappearing Nine Patch" came together. The actual top was quick to sew but as I decided to hand quilt, that where many nights were spent stitching inside the boxes with variegated Perle 8 thread.

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I love the richness of the yellows, pinks and oranges and I used the white to give it a crisp fresh feeling﻿. I am lucky enough to still be able to celebrate these special days with her as I know she herself has not been able to with her own mum. I hope she likes it and that it will find a special place alongside her to keep her warm and snug. Happy Birthday mum - I love you!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

It seems a while since I have last blogged and while it is in my head to do everyday, the days seem to keep passing me by. So whilst I know there are other things that I should be doing they will be there in the morning! With both of my girls on school holidays the craft room has been in full swing. So if you will indulge me a little this post will be about what my girls and some other young ladies have been doing.

Miss 6 (nearly 7!!) is often quite happy just to sit and be in the room with Miss 8 and myself and will participate for a while - she will happily cut out oodles of fabric (good thing they have their own scrap bucket) but often tends to loose interest in all things sewing - well not the other day. She was like a powerhouse - I should have possibly employed her. First she wanted to make a Strawberry Felt badge - so this she did and I mostly was impressed not only at the end result but that she actually finished a project. Here is her finished strawberry.

A short while later she said that I had promised to make her bunting for her room! Whilst I had I didn't exactly mean at that particular point in time. So knowing that anything I was doing was going to go south at that point with her constant reminders I said to her to pick some fabrics that she liked that would go with her room. Miss 6 has a thing for colour - she can put colour together really well and I often marvel at how little time it takes her to put together such good selections. With some gorgeous Phillip Jacobs - Pom Pom Dahlias as her main choice we cut and sewed some Bunting for her room. The photo of the stack of flags below was even taken by her (she loves taking snaps!)

We of course had to immediately hang the new Bunting and now a room makeover is on the cards.

Miss 8 spent this entire time on her own projects - she does not need as much supervision and can read instructions for patterns now quite well. She wanted to make some felt ornaments to go onto her school bag. Without any help she cut and sewed this collection of characters.

Most of you will know that I love getting children involved in sewing, crafting, cooking etc. In the holidays I had some kids come and participate in some workshops. We had a great time making and sewing some felt cupcakes and ice creams and all the girls laughed, shared stories and made friends as they made their "sweet treats". Here are some of the finished items that look good enough to eat

Just as I developed a love of sewing and crafts as a child I hope these children will continue to explore these talents as they grow up.

I started on a new sewing project myself this week. This Kaffe print is one of my favourite fabrics and I am slowly running out of the last of this that I have.